16. Miles

"Ijust don't know what I would do without Olivia," I say, my voice dripping with the kind of sarcasm that Americans simply do not understand. It takes a considerable effort not to make a dramatic gesture too. Olivia though sees right through me. She shoots me a glare from across the table, which I meet with a wink.

Performance reviews are such a drag. But having Olivia to tease and flirt with definitely improves the experience.

Since we got back to Miami, we've been hooking up like three times a week, and it's been amazing. I keep expecting her to get bored but sometimes she's even the one to start it.

She doesn't seem to be such a fan of the flirting, though.

"That's great to hear," says Olivia's manager, Tim. I'm not sure what his exact purpose is beyond jumped-up office guy who thinks he's a hotshot. "It's awesome that you're having a good time here with us. I hope you know that your well-being is important to us. After all, you are a star player, and you have been helping us out a whole bunch. The guys are happy to have you too."

"It's my pleasure," I say, drawing out the syllables as I make eye contact with Olivia, licking my lips to try and communicate to her exactly what it is I'm thinking about. She looks away, frowning, her eyebrows crumpling in that adorable way that they do when she's cross about something.

She's sitting next to Tim, wearing this white blouse that's very nearly see-through, showing off the curve of her breasts, teasing me with the outline of her bra, her chest straining the buttons of the shirt. It would be so easy to reach over and undo them. Only a desk separates us. She's pretending to study her clipboard but she keeps glancing up at me, so I know I've won.

Carefully, I slip off one of my shoes and reach out to tap her leg with my toes, the trousers she's wearing today really showing her bum off too. If I didn't know better, I'd think she dressed up just to wind me up. She jumps a little at my touch but recovers admirably quickly, her glare deepening. I lick my lips again, grinning.

"I've got to say, we did have our concerns about you, Miles," says Tim, blissfully unaware of what's happening. "You've got yourself quite a reputation there. And even though we do need all the help we can get, some guy from England who by all reports is more than a little headstrong… Well, you wouldn't have been our first pick, but we're damn glad to have you now. You keep on scoring those winning goals and we'll send you home as happy as Larry."

"It's like I always say, Mr. Leas: you gotta do what you gotta do." I put enough emphasis on the word do that it makes Olivia shoot me another stern look. I reach out for the cup of coffee on the desk that was provided for me, looping my middle two fingers through the handle to curl them around the mug in a move that's subtle but, to Olivia, obvious. After all, she knows exactly what these fingers can do.

All this is still flying under Tim's radar though, because he grins again with the kind of smile that someone who's seeing dollar signs before their eyes gives you.

"Well, it's been a real delight, Miles. I hope we can go out as strong at the end of this season as we started it."

"I'll do my best," I say. Not that I'm really going to have much to do with the end of their season. I only have a couple of months left here in Miami and I'll be gone before their final games. That realization squeezes my heart a little more than I thought it would.

I am enjoying it here, way more than I thought I would be. And despite everything, Olivia is a big part of that.

"I know you will," says Tim with a smile. "Now, what have you got for me? Any questions? Complaints? Comments? Feedback?"

That is far too many words for me to comprehend when all I'm thinking about is crawling under the table and doing inappropriate things to Olivia. I hope she can read my mind right now. If she could, she'd be seeing images of her own face making expressions of extreme pleasure.

Instead, I force myself back onto this plane of reality. "No, not right now. Cheers."

"You know where to find us if you have anything to say at all," he smiles. This meeting has been dragging on forever, but it looks like I'm not going to be released anytime soon. "Oh, one more thing."

I slump back in my seat as Tim starts droning on about some of the other feedback he's had about training and facilities and team morale. Every other review I've ever had has mostly been me making up some bullshit about goals and aspirations and seeing how far I can get using song lyrics and movie quotes before they realize I'm talking shit.

But Tim seems to love the sound of his own voice, and I'm happy to let him go on because it means I can keep having a silent conversation with Olivia. As I nod along, I start letting my foot wander up her calf, hooking under the flared leg of her trousers. Her eyes widen in warning but I keep going, letting my toes trail up and down to try and make her crack.

Her resolve is strong, though. I get a sharp kick to the shin and have to hide my wince in a smile and nod, which invites Tim to remember he's not supposed to be doing all the talking. "Of course, most of that won't affect you a whole bunch. But I've got just one more thing to ask: how are you feeling about your future with this club? Short as that might be."

I frown, contemplating this for a second. Usually I say some crap about scoring goals or hitting a personal fitness target, but none of that really matters here. I've only got a certain number of days left. "Good. I think mostly I'm excited to make every moment count."

Olivia audibly scoffs at this, and I have to clench my fists to stop myself from grinning at the win. I knew I could crack her eventually.

Tim gives her a weird look but then gets to his feet and smiles warmly at me. I think it's warm, anyway. He has the kind of face that makes it look like any emotions are causing him genuine pain. "Thanks for your time, Miles. You're fantastic."

I get up to shake his hand too. "I know."

He just nods, letting out a light chuckle before sitting back down and gesturing towards the door for me to leave. I don't think twice before getting out of there.

I'm already halfway down the corridor when the door thuds shut, the noise surprising me into turning around to look. It's Olivia, marching after me. I stop and wait for her, and when she grabs my shirt and pulls me into a smaller side corridor, all I can do is grunt in shock.

It's a grunt that quickly turns into a moan of delight, though, because the second we round the corner, she's pushing me hard into the wall and kissing me. "Miles, you've got to stop doing shit like that," she hisses, breathless as she breaks the kiss.

I grin widely, my heart racing. "I"m just too much for you to handle, huh?" I tease, letting my hands slide down her body.

She shakes her head but doesn't push me away, so I don't stop. "It"s not funny," she says, fixing me with a look as she purses her lips, making them look even more plush and kissable than ever. "Do you know how much trouble I"ll be in if he realizes we"re sleeping together?"

"We"re both adults," I say, cupping her butt in my hands. "We"re not doing anything wrong. I mean, unless you don"t want to kiss me anymore." I pout, dropping my hands from her body, sticking my lip out in a cartoonishly fake display of sadness.

"Miles." She sighs again, but the look she"s giving me tells me that she has been defeated by my amazing powers of seduction.

"I can stop if you want," I continue, rolling my eyes to further the drama.

"Miles! Shut up."

Before I can open my mouth to speak again, she kisses me into silence. I don't complain.

"You have to drive me home," I whisper into her ear, pulling her in close and kissing her neck.

"Yes…?"

"Which means you'll already be there…"

"I will." We stare at each other for a long, hot moment before she says, "I might have an interest in coming inside. But only if you promise to be good."

"I can always be good for you, babe," I say, my hands sliding to her hips.

She drags her finger up my chest and rests it under my chin to look me dead in the eye. "Prove it," she says, then turns on her heel and marches away, leaving me scrambling to catch her up. Right now, she could ask me to do anything and I'd obey. I wouldn't question it at all.